Battle of Ciudad Real facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Ciudad Real |
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| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Empire Duchy of Warsaw |
 Kingdom of Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Horace Sebastiani |
Conde de Cartaojal |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 12,700 | 12,500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 100 | 3,000 | ||||||
The Battle of Ciudad Real was a fight that happened on March 27, 1809. It was part of the Peninsular War, a big conflict where France fought against Spain and its allies. In this battle, the French army, led by General Sebastiani, won against the Spanish army, which was commanded by General Conde de Cartojal.
Contents
What Led to the Battle?
The Peninsular War was a long conflict in Europe. It started when Napoleon of France tried to take control of Spain and Portugal. Early in 1809, the French army was pushing into Spain. One of the first major battles that year was the Battle of Uclés. The Battle of Ciudad Real was another important moment in this campaign.
How the Battle Happened
The French 4th Corps, which included a Polish division, needed to cross a bridge over the Guadiana River. This bridge was guarded by the Spanish army, led by Count Urbina Cartaojal.
Polish soldiers called lancers, who rode horses and carried long spears, made a surprise attack. They charged across the bridge very quickly. This allowed them to get behind the Spanish foot soldiers. While the main French and Polish forces attacked the Spanish from the front, the lancers attacked from the back.
The battle ended quickly because the Spanish soldiers became disorganized. They started to run away towards a town called Santa Cruz.
Józef Rudnicki, a soldier from the Polish forces, wrote about the battle in his diary. He said:
As soon as the French soldiers met our division, we quickly moved towards Consuegra and Ciudad Real. Outside Ciudad Real, we found the Spanish army waiting for us in good positions. We were outnumbered, meaning they had more soldiers than us. But thanks to the smart orders from General Sebastiani, in about four hours on March 27, 1809, the Spanish were defeated and scattered. They ran away in a messy way towards Almagro and Santa Cruz de Mudela, and even further into the Sierramorena Mountains.
What Were the Results?
The Spanish army lost about 2,000 soldiers who were either killed or wounded. Many more were captured by the French and Polish forces.
After this defeat, Count Cartojal was removed from his command. He was replaced by General Venegas. General Venegas was known as a hero from the Spanish War of Independence. He later became the viceroy of New Spain, which was a large Spanish territory in North America.
What Happened Next?
After the Battle of Ciudad Real, the Spanish campaign in early 1809 continued. The French army then moved towards Madrid, leading to another important battle called the Battle of Medellín.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Ciudad Real para niños
